Love's Unexpected Awakening Elowen's Choice novel Chapter 747

Chapter 747 Are You Promised to Anyone?

Elowen paused. She lowered her gaze to look Emma in the eye, speaking with absolute seriousness. “Your father is wrong.”

Finished

Emma blinked in surprise. In all her life, this was the first time she had ever heard anyone question her father’s words.

“Girls can learn to read, write, and compose essays,” Elowen told her. “They can ride horses and shoot bows. Those are real skills. You don’t need to serve anyone. You can go wherever you want and do whatever you want.”

Emma stared at her, struggling to take it all in.

A cold scoff cut through the air nearby.

Elowen turned to see Thomas leaning against the kitchen doorway, arms crossed. His expression was grim, a mocking smirk playing on his lips. There was no telling how long he had been standing there, or how much he had overheard.

Elowen simply met his gaze in silence.

“A maid who serves a young lady, speaking of such grand ideals?” Thomas asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

A faint smile touched Elowen’s lips. “The young lady was open–minded and allowed us to learn to read and write. During my years at the general’s estate, I didn’t just learn how to serve people -I also learned bookkeeping, management, and literacy. So yes, I understand these concepts well enough.”

Thomas let out a cold snort, turned on his heel, and walked away.

The next morning, well before dawn, a noise outside woke Elowen.

From the sounds of it, Thomas was heading into the mountains to gather herbs again.

Betty sounded deeply worried. “Your leg hasn’t even healed yet, and you’re already going back up there…”

When speaking to Betty, Thomas’s voice softened. “I’ll be fine, Betty. It’s just a minor injury, nothing to worry about. Go back and get some rest. I’ll gather some more herbs, and once I’ve saved up enough money, I’ll go to Kingsport to find Samantha and bring her home.”

Choking back tears, Betty murmured her agreement and saw him out.

Lying in bed as the footsteps faded into the distance, Elowen felt a massive weight lift from her

1/3

66

Chapter 747 Are You Promised to Anyone?

Finished

chest. With the most difficult member of the household gone, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

By the time she woke up again, the sun was high in the sky. Betty was bustling about the kitchen, Emma was crouched by the doorway helping her mother tend the fire, and Ethan was still asleep inside.

After washing up, Elowen walked a few slow laps around the yard to stretch her right leg. The swelling had gone down a bit, and the bruising had faded, but it still throbbed with pain. Gritting her teeth, she tried taking a few steps without her crutch. Bead after bead of sweat broke out on her forehead, but she managed to push through it.

Thomas’s trips into the mountains never took very long. Once he returned, Elowen would be able to travel to town with him to see Dr. Wren.

Toward evening, well before sunset, Robert returned.

Betty looked out from the kitchen where she was preparing dinner. Noticing his foul mood, she asked anxiously, “Robert, why are you home so early?”

Robert gave a disgruntled grunt and slumped onto a stone bench, cursing under his breath. “It’s those damn recruiters again! Stirring up trouble as usual!”

Betty’s expression shifted. Stepping out of the kitchen, she lowered her voice. “What is it? Are they short on people again?”

Robert snorted. “They claim Prince Zachary is looking for concubines, and every town has to provide two girls. Our town has barely managed to find one so far. They’re still short by one, and the authorities are breathing down everyone’s necks. The town governor is so stressed he’s breaking out in blisters, and his men are out hunting for candidates everywhere.”

Zachary?

Hearing the familiar name, Elowen tilted her head slightly.

Betty found this odd. “Again? Didn’t they just hold a selection two years ago? Why are they doing it again?”

Robert rolled his eyes. “The Prince is grown now, so of course he’s choosing his women. Besides, two years ago they were picking handmaidens. This time it’s concubines. How is that the same thing?” He paused, then added, “The governor also mentioned that any family providing a suitable girl will get a fifty–dollar reward.”

Betty’s eyes lit up for a fleeting second before darkening again. She let out a heavy sigh. “Fifty dollars is a lot of money, but who would willingly send their daughter off to be a concubine? No matter how grand they make it sound, a concubine is still just a concubine. Once she enters the royal estate, you’ll never see her face again. How is that any different from selling your own

2/3

Chapter 747 Are You Promised to Anyone?

child?”

Finished

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify